Safety assessment of a bridge deck slab using NLFEA and a semi-probabilistic global resistance safety factor

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2014

Authors

Mário Jorge Pimentel (Author) FEUP; Figueiras, J (Author) Other

Conference proceedings International

Title: COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES, VOL 2

Pages: 1031-1040

Euro-C Conference

St Anton am Alberg, AUSTRIA, MAR 24-27, 2014

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 1 Citation

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-6DK

Abstract (EN): The assessment of existing bridges constitutes a privileged filed of application of detailed structural analysis methods such as Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NLFEA). However, it is well recognized that the use of NLFEA in the structural assessment demands for a tailored safety format, different than that based on partial safety factors. In this work, a simple semi-probabilistic safety format tailored for nonlinear finite element analysis of existing structures is described. The applicability of the safety format is demonstrated in a case study consisting in the structural safety assessment of the deck slab of a 35 years old prestressed concrete box-girder bridge. Due to a design error, the provided reinforcement is shown to be very low and safety cannot be proven using current structural analysis procedures. However, although a well-developed cracking pattern has been observed, the bridge has shown to perform adequately during its service life. A 3D NLFEA is performed in order to assess the beneficial influence of the axial restraint provided by the webs and surrounding slab panels that are responsible for compressive membrane effect which increases the ultimate load of the structural system. A constitutive model for the reinforcement steel based on the Tension Chord Model was implemented so as to allow accurate estimates of the deformation capacity of the cold-worked steel, taking into account the strong strain localizations occurring in the steel bars in the post-yield regime.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10